You have customers who used to order every week and suddenly vanished. They haven't moved away or stopped liking your food: they forgot, or something else caught their attention. The good news is they are among the easiest to win back. The bad news is that most restaurants never notice they've gone.
Why it is worth it
Someone who has bought several times knows you and trusts you. Persuading them to return costs less than winning a stranger, and every customer you win back adds to their value over time.
Step one: be able to notice
You can't win back someone you don't know has gone. You need:
- data on who buys (name, contact, history), which you get from orders on your own channel;
- each customer's normal rhythm. Someone who ordered weekly and hasn't appeared for 20 days is a clear signal;
- a habit of looking at that list regularly.
The right message for the right person
Winning back isn't sending "we miss you" to everyone.
- A frequent customer who slowed down: a friendly reminder with a small incentive. "We haven't seen you for a few days: your next order, 15% off on us." (Adjust the incentive to your margin.)
- Someone who always orders the same dish: suggest that dish, or a similar new one.
- Special dates: a birthday is a good reason.
The key is to be relevant to each group, not identical for everyone.
It takes more than one nudge
If the customer doesn't return after the first message, don't be discouraged. Many need several prompts. Consistency, without wearing people out, wins this game.
The common mistake
Running campaigns by hand, now and then, when you remember. Pick one day a week to look at the list of people who stopped ordering and send a message. Small and regular beats big and rare.
How GetFoodies helps
It keeps the data and history of each customer on your channel and lets you send emails to groups of customers, with the right offer for each. With cashback, a customer holding a balance has one more reason to return.
Start by looking at your data
Filter customers who used to buy often and haven't been seen for weeks. That list is money waiting to be recovered.